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Measuring the Known Realities of Regional Icons from the Possible Imaginings of Appalachian Art: Techniques for Learning and Teaching About Appalachian Art

Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary

This presentation explores various methodologies for measuring images and icons in Appalachian visual art. The methodologies presented are especially geared to be useful as teaching techniques in classroom exercises pertaining to visual culture studies. Scholars within Appalachian Studies work tirelessly to debunk and explain stereotypes of Appalachia. These scholars acknowledge discourse of Appalachia as a region of backwards, primitive, isolated, mountain folk is, instead, an invented, stereotyped reality. This “reality,” however, contributes to the formation and expression of personal identity, experience, and even livelihood of people of Appalachia. This connection to identity and experiences brings into focus the persuasiveness and consumability of icons. Research techniques useful to understand the persuasiveness of icons and featured in this presentation include content analysis of visual works, free listing, and place observation, among others. Employed in dissertation fieldwork conducted in an Appalachian tourist site, these research methodologies help to determine both the frequencies of icons and their associated meanings. In addition to exploring the merit and usefulness of visual culture methodologies, this presentation hopes to bridge the gap between fieldwork and the classroom by providing activities that enable students to practice these methods. For example, this presentation provides a classroom exercise that helps students to quantitatively and qualitatively identify patterns of subjects and themes of icons found in tourist paintings. Another exercise helps students to analyze data derived from free listing conducted with artists and tourists as they described their perceptions of Appalachia.

At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1

Kristin Kant-Byers grew up in East Tennessee, but now lives in Rochester, New York, on the fringe of Northern Appalachia. She earned her doctorate in anthropology from the University of Kentucky and studies art, tourism, economics, and spirituality in Appalachia while teaching cultural diversity to lots of engineering and computer programming students at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

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Mar 28th, 2:00 PMMar 28th, 3:15 PM

Measuring the Known Realities of Regional Icons from the Possible Imaginings of Appalachian Art: Techniques for Learning and Teaching About Appalachian Art

Drinko Library 349

This presentation explores various methodologies for measuring images and icons in Appalachian visual art. The methodologies presented are especially geared to be useful as teaching techniques in classroom exercises pertaining to visual culture studies. Scholars within Appalachian Studies work tirelessly to debunk and explain stereotypes of Appalachia. These scholars acknowledge discourse of Appalachia as a region of backwards, primitive, isolated, mountain folk is, instead, an invented, stereotyped reality. This “reality,” however, contributes to the formation and expression of personal identity, experience, and even livelihood of people of Appalachia. This connection to identity and experiences brings into focus the persuasiveness and consumability of icons. Research techniques useful to understand the persuasiveness of icons and featured in this presentation include content analysis of visual works, free listing, and place observation, among others. Employed in dissertation fieldwork conducted in an Appalachian tourist site, these research methodologies help to determine both the frequencies of icons and their associated meanings. In addition to exploring the merit and usefulness of visual culture methodologies, this presentation hopes to bridge the gap between fieldwork and the classroom by providing activities that enable students to practice these methods. For example, this presentation provides a classroom exercise that helps students to quantitatively and qualitatively identify patterns of subjects and themes of icons found in tourist paintings. Another exercise helps students to analyze data derived from free listing conducted with artists and tourists as they described their perceptions of Appalachia.